Military

Ballistic Missile Attack On Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base That Hosts American Troops, Nukes Not True; Alert Issued In Error: Media



A ballistic missile alert sent Friday to U.S. personnel deployed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey was issued in error, a U.S. official said, according to a report by the Associated Press.

“An automated message that was sent out to U.S. military personnel at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey Friday afternoon warning of a ballistic missile was sent in error, and there was no incoming missile,” AP correspondent Tara Copp reported, citing the official.

“Officials are still looking into why the alert message was sent,” she added.

Incirlik Air Base, located near Adana, Turkey, is a crucial military facility for NATO and U.S. operations in the Middle East. The base hosts U.S. Air Force units alongside Turkish Air Force personnel, serving as a key hub for regional security missions.

Incirlik supports a variety of aircraft, including fighters, tankers, and cargo planes, and has been pivotal in operations like Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Inherent Resolve against ISIS.

The base’s strategic position, in proximity to Syria, Iraq, and Iran, enables rapid response to regional crises.

Su 57 35 Ballistic Missile Attack On Turkey's Incirlik Air Base That Hosts American Troops, Nukes Not True; Alert Issued In Error: Media
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It also houses U.S. nuclear weapons under NATO’s nuclear-sharing agreement, though this has sparked debate amid Turkey’s shifting geopolitics. Incirlik accommodates approximately 5,000 U.S. personnel and their families.

Meanwhile, Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Istanbul late Friday to discuss the escalating war between Iran and Israel, Turkish state news agency Anadolu said, quoting diplomatic sources.

The ministers were in Turkey’s largest city on the eve of the weekend gathering of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was also slated to discuss the air war launched a week ago.

Israel began its assault in the early hours of June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, triggering an immediate retaliation from Tehran in the worst-ever confrontation between the two arch-rivals.Some 40 top diplomats are slated to join the weekend gathering of the OIC, which will also have a session dedicated to discussing the Iran-Israel crisis, the Turkish foreign ministry said.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met with his counterparts from Britain, France, and Germany in Geneva on Friday, will also attend and address the diplomats, the ministry said.Earlier on Friday, Araghchi said Tehran was ready to “consider diplomacy” again only if Israel’s “aggression is stopped”.

The Arab League ministers were expected to release a statement following their meeting, Anadolu said.

With inputs from Agence France-Presse